Program Requirements

Master's Programs

Students are admitted into either the MPA On Campus or the MPA Online program. The MPA On Campus and the MPA Online have the same academic course requirements: nine required core courses supplemented by two electives.

• Core Courses
• ADMN 502A, 502B, 504, 507, 509 or 518*, 512, 516, 551, 556, 589**
• Elective Courses
• ADMN 518, 520, 523, 530, 531, 537, 544, 547, 548, 553, 554, 577, 578, 579, 581, 582
• With permission of the Graduate Adviser, 400 level undergraduate courses through the School of Public Administration Diploma program or other academic programs.
• Final Requirement
• ADMN 598 or 599

*with permission of the department

**MPA On Campus program only

Students may not transfer from one MPA program to the other, or take courses from the other program that are not specifically open to students from both programs, without the permission of the Graduate Adviser.

Students have the opportunity to focus their studies on specific areas of public policy and administration through their selection of electives, their co-op work term placements and the topic of their final report or thesis.

At the end of their program, all MPA students choose between completing a Master's Project (ADMN 598), or a Thesis (ADMN 599).

Because ADMN 599 is 6.0 units while ADMN 598 is 4.5 units, thesis students' programs will total 21.0 units, while project students' programs will total 19.5 units. More detailed information on the thesis option requirements is included on the School of Public Administration website.

Program Length

The full-time MPA On Campus program can be completed in just over 1.5 years, including two co-operative work terms. The part-time MPA Online program can be completed in two years.

MPA On Campus Program

The MPA On Campus program consists of five compulsory terms - two full-time, residential academic terms, two co-operative work terms, and a third academic term. The third academic term may be completed on campus, online or through a combination of the two. Students also have the option of undertaking a third co-operative work term at the end of their program.

Note: Some term 1 courses may include pre-course assignments.

MPA Online Program

Courses in the MPA Online program are offered year-round. MPA Online students can only take more than two courses per term with the permission of the Graduate Adviser. Students will also need the permission of the Graduate Adviser to take elective courses before completing core courses.

Note: Some term 1 courses may include a pre-course assignment.

Students may complete a Master's Project (ADMN 598) or a Master's Thesis (ADMN 599) to complete their MPA requirements.

MPA - Master's Project Option

ADMN 598: Master's Project (4.5 units)

The Master's Project is expected to be a substantial analysis of a management, policy or program problem for a client in the non-profit or public sector. Students have the choice of working individually or with a partner. Team-based Master's projects must be designed and written so that each team member's contributions are clearly indicated. The Master's Project is prepared in consultation with the client and an academic supervisor in the School of Public Administration and must be both practical and academically rigorous. Normally the academic supervisor is a member of the School faculty and is also a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. More detailed information about the Master's Project option is included in the School's website.

Final Examination

The Master's Project is defended in an oral examination, and the minimum Committee consists of the academic supervisor, the client, a second reader from the School of Public Administration and a Chair representing the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

MPA - Master's Thesis Option

ADMN 599: Master's Thesis (6.0 units)

The Master's Thesis option is expected to be a substantial contribution to the knowledge in the field of Public Administration. An MPA thesis will demonstrate a student's mastery of a substantive body of scholarly or practice literature, as well as using appropriate and academically defensible methodologies to analyze research questions, test hypotheses or contribute new theoretical knowledge. Individual students will work with an academic supervisor in the School of Public Administration.

Oral Examination

The Master's Thesis is defended in an oral examination, and the minimum Committee consists of the supervisor, a second member from within the School and an external member from the University of Victoria, together with a Chair and an external examiner appointed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies from outside the school. All members of the committee must be members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

For “Guidelines for Oral Examinations” please go to the following website: <www.uvic.ca/graduatestudies/resourcesfor/students/thesis.html>.

JD+MPA Double Degree Program

In partnership with the Faculty of Law, the School of Public Administration offers the JD+MPA graduate program, for students wishing to pursue double degrees. Students who apply and are accepted into both the Faculty of Law JD and the School of Public Administration MPA programs may earn both degrees concurrently with modified requirements for each. Undertaken separately, the two degrees normally require five years of study, whereas the double degree may be completed in four years. The first year of the double degree program is devoted entirely to the first year law curriculum. The second year of the program requires the completion of the required core public administration courses offered in the fall and summer terms. In consultation with the Graduate Adviser, these courses can be completed in combination with law courses, if the student wishes. The remaining two years entail the completion of all other law and public administration course requirements. Students may reduce the time in the program by enrolling in some MPA courses during the third Summer Term. Alternatively, students may participate in the Co-operative Education program. For information about the Faculty of Graduate Studies' rules governing the JD+MPA double degree program, see “Registration in Double Degree Programs”. Further information on the program may also be obtained from either the School of Public Administration or the Faculty of Law.

Students enrolled in the JD+MPA double degree program must submit two formal applications for graduation when registering in their final Summer or Winter session. Graduation application forms are available from Undergraduate Records for the JD degree and from Graduate Records for the MPA degree. Application deadlines are July 1 for the November convocation and December 1 for the June convocation. Both degrees must be conferred at the same Senate meeting, and be awarded at the same convocation.

PhD Program

The PhD program offers learning and research opportunities in the fields of:

1. comparative policy and governance;
2. organizational studies; and
3. applied policy and program analysis.

The first year of the program is a full-time course of studies consisting of a minimum of 10.5 units of coursework, a non-credit doctoral seminar and language training (if required for the student's dissertation research). Students must be in residence to complete this part of their program:

• four core courses in two of the three fields

• two methodology courses

• and a further graduate-level quantitative or qualitative methods course with the approval of the Graduate Adviser (1.5)
• at least one elective course (1.5)
• Students may take graduate-level courses offered by the School of Public Administration, the Department of Political Science, other UVic departments, or other universities with the approval of the Graduate Adviser. Elective courses must be related to their two core fields of study.
• ADMN 600 (0.0) Doctoral Seminar - students will be required to register in this non-credit seminar course for the duration of their PhD program.

Students who choose comparative policy and governance as one of their fields will do coursework in both the School of Public Administration and the Department of Political Science.

The total number of courses each student is required to take will depend on the background of the student and will be decided by the student and the Graduate Adviser and approved by the Admissions and Program Standards Committee. The minimum units required for the PhD Degree is 10.5 units of coursework.

PhD students are expected to have mastery of a second or third language if it is germane to their chosen fields of study. They will be expected to acquire needed language skills in addition to their PhD coursework. No PhD credit will be given for language training.

Candidacy

ADMN 693 (3.0) Candidacy Examination

During the second year of the program of study, students will complete candidacy Examinations in the two fields of study they have chosen. The examinations will be set by School field committees. A student who passes the comprehensive examinations is admitted to candidacy for the PhD degree.

Dissertation

ADMN 699 (30.0) Dissertation

Upon completing the candidacy examinations, students will develop a dissertation proposal and defend the proposal in an oral presentation to their supervisory committee. Once the committee is satisfied that the dissertation proposal meets the standards of the program, students will begin their dissertation research.

Oral Examination

Students will defend the completed dissertation in an oral examination in accordance with the regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Program Length

The entry date for the PhD program is September. The program operates year-round. Courses, faculty members and facilities are available during Fall, Spring and Summer sessions. PhD candidates are expected to complete the program in five years.

Graduate Professional Certificates

The courses are normally taken in the following sequence. Should a student miss a course due to personal circumstances, that student can enrol in the missed course in the next academic year (or the next offering). Note that for the Cultural and Library Sector Leadership programs, the orientation courses ADMN 517A and 517B and HA 488T (Cultural Sector students only) include required attendance at on-campus intensive sessions.

Graduate Professional Certificate in Library Sector Leadership

Graduate Professional Certificate in Cultural Sector Leadership

Graduate Certificate in Evaluation and Graduate Diploma in Evaluation

The part-time online Graduate Certificate in Evaluation consists of four specified ADMN 500-level courses. Upon successful completion of the four courses, students can then opt to apply for and receive their Graduate Certificate, or they may apply for admission to the Graduate Diploma in Evaluation.

The Diploma requires completion of a final project, ADMN 596 (4.5 units). Students who undertake the project, which will be supervised by a faculty member, will have an evaluation client, an agreed-upon project design, and a timeline to complete the project. A written project report will be prepared and submitted to an examination committee. Completed reports will be assessed by a committee consisting of academic instructors and practitioners, including the client for the project.

Required Courses